Fielding percentage - Citizendia

In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player handles a batted or thrown ball properly. Statistics play an important role in summarizing Baseball performance and evaluating players in the Sport. There are 9 fielding positions in Baseball. Each position conventionally has an associated number (from 1 to 9 which is used to score Putouts For example It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists divided by the number of total chances. In Baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by PO or fly ball when appropriate is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the In Baseball, an assist (denoted by A) is a defensive statistic baseball being the rare sport in which the In Baseball statistics, total chances ( TC) also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated

While a high fielding percentage is regarded as a sign of defensive skill, it is also possible for a player of lesser defensive skill to have a high fielding percentage, as it does not reflect or take into account a player's defensive range; a slow-footed first baseman, for example, might have a high fielding percentage simply because he rarely drops a thrown ball or makes an errant throw. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run Likewise, a relatively slow outfielder might have a high fielding percentage even though he doesn't reach many of the fly balls which a faster player would catch. Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in Baseball farthest from the batter Conversely, a highly skilled fielder might have a comparatively low fielding percentage by virtue of reaching, and potentially missing, a greater number of balls.

In order to qualify for the league lead in fielding percentage, a player must appear at the specific position in at least two-thirds of his team's games (games in the outfield are not separated by position); catchers must appear in at least half their team's games, and pitchers must pitch at least one inning for each of their team's scheduled games (however, a pitcher with fewer innings may qualify if they have more total chances and a higher average). Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in Cricket. In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of In order to qualify for major league career records for fielding average, a player must appear in 1000 games at the position; pitchers must have at least 1500 innings.

See also